Author: Akanksha Singh, Asian Law College, Noida
To the Point
In a historic decision rendered by a nine-judge Constitution Bench in 2017, the Supreme Court of India ruled that Article 21 guarantees the right to privacy as a basic right guaranteed by the constitution. By rectifying earlier interpretations and opening the door for strong safeguards of individual liberty, data security, and autonomy in the digital era, this ruling signaled a sea change in Indian legal history.
Use of Legal Jargon:
Article 21: Defense of Individual Liberty and Life
Part III of the Constitution guarantees all citizens certain fundamental rights.
The Supreme Court’s special bench on constitutional issues is known as the Constitution Bench.
The doctrine of precedent, or Stare Decisis
Overturning precedents by stating that past rulings are unconstitutional
Data protection: Keeping private information safe .Two essential components of individual liberty are autonomy and dignity.
A test for whether restrictions are constitutional is the proportionality principle.
The inviolability of privacy refers to the fact that the right to privacy cannot be compromised.
Fundamental to individual liberty is the right to be left alone.
The Proof
Retired judge Justice K.S. Puttaswamy filed a public interest lawsuit against the government’s Aadhaar program, which collected residents’ demographic and biometric information. He said that the right to privacy was breached by this collecting without authorization. The government cited other rulings that rejected privacy as a basic right, such as those rendered by MP Sharma and Kharak Singh. Owing to the issue’s constitutional importance, a nine-judge panel was established to determine whether or not privacy is a basic right.
The Court ruled unanimously and authoritatively that the right to privacy is an inherent and unalienable right that is safeguarded by Articles 14, 19, and particularly Article 21. It recognized that in a constitutional democracy, privacy is crucial to maintaining individual liberties and human dignity.
Abstract
India’s constitutional interpretation was modified by the 2017 ruling in Justice K.S. Puttaswamy v. Union of India. The Court established the groundwork for developing digital rights and data protection regulations by establishing the right to privacy as a basic right. This decision made clear that people have a real and legal right to privacy, which shields them from bothstate and non-state interference. A strong foundation for understanding personal liberty in light of contemporary issues like surveillance, data mining, and the misuse of personal information was established by the verdict, which also fixed incorrect legal precedents. The case is significant not only for privacy legislation but also for upholding constitutional morals and democratic norms.
Case Laws
1. Satish Chandra v. MP Sharma (1954): overturned a previous ruling that privacy is not a basic right.
2. In Kharak Singh v. State of Uttar Pradesh (1963), the basic right to privacy was denied; this decision was overturned.
3. Govind v. State of Madhya Pradesh (1975): A landmark case that established the right to privacy.
4. Expanded interpretation of Article 21; adhered to in Maneka Gandhi v. Union of India (1978).
5. In the 2018 case of Justice K.S. Puttaswamy (II) v. Union of India, the privacy principles were applied in the Aadhaar issue.
Conclusion
An important constitutional turning point that established India’s legal foundation for privacy was the Puttaswamy ruling. It agreed that the Constitution must change over time in addition to correcting previous judicial errors. The ruling established crucial principles for evaluating privacy violations, including proportionality, need, and legality. It gave people the to preserve their freedom, dignity, and personal preferences in a digital world and laid the groundwork for India’s future data protection laws. Liberty, dignity, and justice—values embodied in the Preamble—have been reaffirmed by the ruling, which has been duly celebrated.
FAQS
Q1. What prompted the filing of the Puttaswamy case?
A: To argue that the Aadhaar program infringed upon the right to privacy.
Q2. Which constitutional issue was resolved by the Court?
A: Whether the Constitution guarantees the right to privacy as a fundamental right.
Q3. What was the Court’s decision?
A: According to Articles 14, 19, and 21, the right to privacy is a basic one.
Q4. What was the number of judges that participated in the ruling?
A unanimous decision was rendered by nine judges.
Q5. Which previous rulings were overturned?
A: For violating the right to privacy, MP Sharma (1954) and Kharak Singh (1963) were overturned.
Q6. How does this case affect society more broadly?
A: It impacted India’s Aadhaar ruling, surveillance reforms, and digital privacy regulations.
